If you're trying to lose weight and find that all of the sudden it seems impossible to shed more pounds than it was at the beginning, you may have hit a plateau. Nutrition Diva suggests one way to overcome the hurdle is calorie cycling.

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Cutting back your calorie intake for a long period of time, nutritionist Monica Reinagel writes, may make your body lower your metabolic rate to conserve energy, thus causing the weight loss plateau. To jump start your metabolic rate, you can alternate high and low calorie days:

For example, you could alternate between 2000-calorie days and 1200-calorie days. Over the course of a week, you'd trim an extra 1400 calories but the higher calorie days should help keep your lizard brain from panicking—and your willpower from flagging.

You may want to consult with your doctor or nutritionist before using this technique, especially if you have a diabetes, hypoglycemia, or other health condition. If it's suitable for you, however, calorie cycling might help you get rid of those stubborn pounds.

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See the article below for more tips on getting past the weight loss plateau, such as mixing up your workout and putting your weight loss progress back into perspective. Photo by Fiona Henderson.